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~ 12 students get scholarships
~ Ngee Ann lecturer 1st S’porean invited to Boston campus as Visiting Scholar
Singapore , 21 June 2007 – The education sector reaches another milestone today when the Wheelock College Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation – Singapore was officially opened at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) this morning.
The centre will be offering the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Educational Studies and Leadership in collaboration between the Boston-based Wheelock College , Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and the Regional Training and Resource Centre in Early Childhood Care and Education for Asia (RTRC Asia). The programme is the first-ever full-time degree course in early childhood education to be offered in Singapore .
“This is truly a milestone for Ngee Ann and its partners,” said Mr Chia Mia Chiang, the Principal of the polytechnic. “With the opening, we are now ready to provide top-notch education and develop high-calibre professionals to elevate the standard of the childcare and preschool industry, not only in Singapore but also the region.”
Ngee Ann is the first local polytechnic to tie up with a foreign specialised institution (FSI). It signed an MOU with its two partners, Wheelock College and RTRC Asia, on 2 Oct 2006 .
The move followed a National Day Rally speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2005, during which he encouraged the polytechnics to link up with foreign universities to run degree programmes in niche areas to provide “many routes up, many ways to succeed”.
The first batch of 61 degree students will start their classes on 25 June. They will use the training facilities at the polytechnic’s School of Humanities , which is well-known for its full-time Diploma in Early Childhood Education, jointly offered with RTRC Asia.
The degree students will also be able to work with the Caterpillar’s Cove Child Development and Study Centre for the purpose of conducting research projects. The Cove was built at a cost of $1 million, and is located at the polytechnic.The Caterpillar’s Cove is operated by the NTUC Childcare Group, led by RTRC Asia. Further details on the degree course are available in the Appendix.
The Wheelock College Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation – Singapore is headed by its Executive Director, Dr David A Fedo who has been specially recruited by Wheelock College .Dr Fedo comes to Wheelock College from Curry College in Milton, MA, where he has served as an Academic Vice President, Dean of Faculty, and Professor of English since 1990.
Wheelock College assumes leadership in designing an innovative, customised and quality degree programme. The majority of the core modules will be taught by Wheelock College ’s faculty. Local faculty from Ngee Ann and RTRC Asia will also be involved in teaching.
Scholarships
A total of 12 students received their scholarships at the opening ceremony of the Wheelock College Center for International Education, Leadership, and Innovation – Singapore .
Of these,three were awarded by Ngee Ann and nine were awarded by the NTUC Childcare Co-operative Ltd.
Ngee Ann lecturer invited to
Boston campus as Visiting Scholar
Mr Joseph Seet, a lecturer at Ngee Ann’s School of Business & Accountancy, has been invited to the Wheelock College ’s Boston campus as a Presidential International Visiting Scholar for at least two weeks during the Academic Year 2007/2008.
He is the first lecturer from Singapore to be invited by Wheelock College under the prestigious Presidential International Visiting Scholar programme. He will be the eighth Visiting Scholar under this scheme.
During that time, he will meet faculty members in Boston to share his research and experience in educational entrepreneurship, and deliver lectures to Wheelock College and the greater Boston community on innovative programmes and efforts. Mr Seet will also conduct a joint research project and meet leaders in the field to learn more about the entrepreneurial activities taking place in the United States.
Mr Seet, who is also the Manager of Ngee Ann’s Entrepreneurs-Connect@NP, which spearheads student entrepreneurshp in the polytechnic, has researched and published papers, and lectured on experiential learning for youth entrepreneurship in Singapore and China.
He will be teaching a course on Entrepreneurship in the early childhood education context in the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Educational Studies and Leadership programme offered at the polytechnic’s campus.
APPENDIX More about the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Educational Studies and Leadership The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Educational Studies and Leadership is equivalent to all other four-year undergraduate degree courses offered by Wheelock College . It has been purpose-built for Ngee Ann’s Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECH) graduates. These graduates will enjoy a two-year advanced standing, and will be enrolled directly into Year 3 of the programme. This means that they will be able to complete the degree programme after only two years of full-time studies. This degree programme is aimed at giving graduates of Ngee Ann’s ECH course the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge and skills in this specialised field. The programme is composed of 20 courses, or modules, spread over the two years. Summer Immersion Programme in Boston All the students will undergo a four-week summer immersion programme in Wheelock College ’s Boston campus. During this international academic experience, they pursue coursework and gain practical experience in various ways, such as visiting special educational environments and state-of-the-art childcare centres which support children with learning challenges, and attending hands-on museums and technology centres for children and families. Two Specialisation Strands Students will be able to specialise in two areas – Current Special Education and Inclusionary Practices, and Early Childhood Leadership, Policy, Management & Administration. They will also be involved in an action research project as an integral part of their studies. MOE Endorsement The degree tie-up is endorsed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) under MOE’s polytechnic-foreign specialised institution degree tie-up framework. Students who are Singapore citizens or Singapore permanent residents can apply for the MOE tuition grant of $13,700 per year and pay a subsidised tuition fee of only $6,800 per year. Foreign students pay a full tuition fee of $23,500. International Accreditation Awarded in the name of Wheelock College , the degree will enjoy international accreditation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). |
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